Will County to state: Give us our money

Will County Board members want state lawmakers to release $5.6 million in fee and tax revenue owed the county and to pass a law that would bring back racing dates to Balmoral Park Race Track in Crete.

The board has passed resolutions urging legislators to provide the county with its share of revenue from the motor fuel tax and the 911 phone surcharge. The state has withheld local shares of that money since July 1 because of the lack of a 2015-16 state budget, placing local governments in a tightening money squeeze and angering municipal and county officials statewide.

Will County is owed about $3.5 million in motor fuel tax income and another $2.1 million from the 911 fee.

The House recently passed a bill freeing those local funds, but it was placed on hold through a parliamentary maneuver and has not advanced to the Senate.

"These are pass-through dollars (from the state). This isn't anything that's in the state's budget," said board member Suzanne Hart, R-Naperville, who heads the County Board's legislative committee, echoing the argument of many local officials.

Hart said the 911 fee is charged on local phone bills to cover the costs of 911 dispatch centers. The state collects the money and distributes it local governments. The motor fuel tax is collected at the gas pump, and the state sends the local share to counties and towns, which use the money for road projects.

Board members last week also approved a resolution urging state lawmakers to award a "reasonable number" of harness racing days to Balmoral Park. The Illinois Racing Board in September denied Balmoral's request to race on Friday and Saturday nights next year from Jan. 4 to Nov. 3. Racing dates also were denied for Maywood Park.

Balmoral Park, which opened in 1926, has been operating under bankruptcy since last December. As of now, its last racing day will be Dec. 26. No events are planned at the track for 2017, Balmoral General Manager Mike Belmonte said.

"The closing of Balmoral is going to (adversely) affect our community," Bruce Friefeld, chief of staff for the County Board, said.

He said Balmoral and Maywood parks have gotten "the short end of the stick" in the past on racing dates. Though both are in bankruptcy, they should be allowed racing days if they are in good standing with the Racing Board, he said.

A version of this article appeared in print on November 29, 2015, in the News section of the Chicago Tribune with the headline "Will County to state: Give us our money" —
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